The Last of Promised Light
by Shadow Medli
Summary: Zelda is racing through nightmares as a certain boy is slowly dragged down by darkness...the realm of Hyrule is under the mercy of someone who strikes fear into all. Yet, who? In a manic blur of confusion and blood, evil claims Hyrule.
1. Hail of Blood

_The Last of Promised Light_

Chapter I - Hail of Blood

A land, parallel to a realm of mystery, magic, and blood, once endangered by a terrible evil, was spared of the chaotic wrath, their saviour young but bold. This hero has rescued his homeland from a malignant shadow, flown through time, warded off the evil of this realm, and shape-shifted quite several times. The name of the young saviour was Link, a name melded with that of the Hero of Time, entwined with a legend forever soaring on the wings of the wind. Link, after throwing a sinister force back from whence it came, decided to quickly leave Termina on his beloved mare, Epona. If he had stayed at the feast, it would be too unbearable for him to leave this splendid, yet dangerous place. He and Epona traveled far, wandering, searching for their way back to Hyrule, their homeland. The adventure originated from Link's desire to seek out his blue fairy friend, Navi, who parted paths after they released Hyrule from the grip of the Emporer of Darkness. Tatl was a yellow fairy who had helped Link about in Termina, but he had to leave her to return to Hyrule. _Yet, where **was **Hyrule?_

The clopping of Epona's hooves was the only sound that clicked at the air. It was a clouded area, fog obscuring their vision. The mare was walking with a vigorous rate, and Link felt the vibrations of her strolling transfer to his own little body, which he was completely used to. All of a sudden, a disturbance occured. Epona abruptly slowed her pace, and came to a stop. Link noticed this, and concern took over as he looked down, cocking his head. Her breathing was labored in a matter of seconds, when she was in perfect condition only minutes ago. "Epona?" inquired his young, smooth voice. The mare below gave a lurch, and bucked the warrior off her back powerfully with a wild whicker. The ground was cold, and spread a shudder throughout his body as his arms and legs found the earth.  
With a grunt, Link raised himself into a sitting position with his right arm, shaking his head, legs straight across the freezing ground. Epona shrieked once more, rearing and throwing painful kicks at him -- Link was fortunate to have raised his shield in time. The ghastly face of the Mirror Shield took the mare by surprise, and she backed away, glaring coldly. The shock quickly subsided however, and Epona took several steps forward, repelling Link with her own presence. He backed away, unable to find the opportunity to leap to his feet and run. Epona raised onto her hind legs, forcing her out front legs once more, though the attack failed. Link parried the blow, thrusting his shield forward, making his mare stumble. "Goddesses, what are you--" Before the Hylian could finish his sentence, the shadow of a demonic force behind her blue eyes. She wasn't with him anymore. Without a choice, Link whirled around and fled -- Epona followed closely, whinnying like mad, the evil weighing her down. This was becoming a dangerous pursuit. _I have to lose her...it's my only chance. It could be her only chance, too. But...how? If only..._  
Link threw a depserate glance over his shoulder, to see her figure still tailing him through the fog. In his lack of attention, his voice slipped out a panicked cry as his foot found the edge of a cliff. Instinct took over--he kicked off, leaping into the air. His free hand groped around for something solid, and it found the rough bark of a branch that just barely hung to a dead tree. His weight swung him back onto the other land safely, leaving him stunned for a few seconds. Link slowly stood to his feet, and turned his head at the fog of the wide gap, hearing Epona scream at him angrily. "How?" The question slipped out croakily, and he realized he was shaken from the sudden turn of events. There was no turning back. "I can't get her back..." he muttered aimlessly. "Not now, anyway. Epona...what happened?" Link turned his head again, only to see more fog label his eyes useless. "Goddesses." More angry now, he trudged through the thick layers of white, wishing it would be easier if he could just push the strips of fog away. 

It felt like an hour of tiresome walking. Link's legs dragged him along with effort as he continued his stride, beginning to feel the need to rest. His legs became stiff from movement, but he was just glad the fog was finally lifting. When he reached the point where he could finally see through the clouding layers of translucent white, he noticed he had found barren land. Dead, dry land, lacking grass, just stone and soil. The sound of shifting rock reached his ears, and he spun his upper body around, his sparkling blue eyes meeting the menacing, red ones of an easily recognizable figure. "I thought I was rid of you long ago," he growled dangerously, turning his full body about to face the shadow. "How is it possible? I sent you away, and I did so with the King of Evil. You couldn't have followed me through time. Not all the way here." He lowered his head, hiding his eyes in his golden blonde hair, still glaring with hate. His rival chortled, cocked his head, and cracked his neck in a challenging manner.  
"Couragous, but not wise. Do you not know? Do you not know why I do not assume your child form?"  
"I'm not here to play."  
"Of course you're not...Ganondorf was never a part of Time. Evil never is. There is no logic in Time that not even the wisest will ever find. All I did was ressurect myself with the help of a few...companions."  
"You probably killed them once you felt the air of Hyrule again, huh?" Link drew the golden blade from its finely decorated sheath, the silver shimmering like a diamond, even in the lack of light.  
"I suppose you could say that." The shadow held a black guard impersonating a Hylian shield, unsheathing the dark reflection of the sacred Master Sword, which was the blade of evil's bane, the line that the Hero of Time wielded against Hell. The battle was about to take suit, and the outcome would be hard to see. A Hylian youth, hero of two lands, against his black adult image, sinister and terrible. Dark Link flexed his fingers, cracking the stiffened bones in his hands. The black pupils swimming in the red blotches widened in interest, giving him a more insane look. Link threw his head to the left, tossing his hair and jerking his head back towards his foe.

_The struggle won't begin until one flashes his blade._

Link leaned his form back a little, and suddenly flashed across the battlefield with his nimble agility. The shadow crouched down a bit, shield and sword in hand, awaiting the right opportunity of strike. As he saw the green figure near him precariously, he lunged forth, the dark handle of the twisted blade in his hand. The line of the corrupted Master Sword emanated a horrible force of demonic, Hellish aura as it was forced towards Link, who deflected the blow with the Gilded Sword in his hand. He set it, the broader part of the blade facing them, and the darker sword bounced off the gleaming surface. Dust flew around in countless formations around them as they continued their crazed war, the two swords becoming blurs in the lessening fog as they were sent at the two rivals. Dark Link sent his weapon down upon Link, who ducked his head to the left and evading the strike on his right shoulder. The shadow swung the blade in a downwards diagonal direction to the right, which the young warrior missed with a quick step back. Link raised the Gilded Sword, set his right hand at the end to support its strength, and made a blind stab at Dark Link's head. The blow managed to sever the left shoulder, and this left Link open for a split second. Dark Link lashed his sword out, and the young Hylian arched back, but the tip fo the blade tore through the cloth and scathed the side of his body, along with a bit of his stomach. The energy in the impure sword coarsed through Link's body, completely numbing his legs, disabling his arms, and his body collapsed onto his knees, falling onto his hands afterward. His strength succumbed to the tainted Master Sword, and he was immobilized. Dark Link swooped down, poised for the kill as he steadily raised his blade in triumph. "No!" Link cried out, hoping this wouldn't easily be his end. He awaited the blow, and yet, nothing happened. He wasn't sent to the hereafter just yet.  
He raised his head weakly, and blinked in surprise. The black body of the shadow was seeping away into the wind. Dark Link was dissolving into the air, as if he were nothing but dust. He stood, frozen, and the wind swept the figure away. "Wherein could he have not slain thyself?" he muttered in the _language of the Hylians_. Link's strength steadily returned to his body as he thought the situation over. The substance in the dark blade was not poison for sure. A feeling of uncertainty crept into him. He sensed his essence was not in its normal stance anymore. He wasn't calm, nor competitive for that matter. Link rose to his feet painfully, limping off. He felt the urge to kill; to murder.

"Uh...uh..." Zelda overturned in her sleep, her pleasant dreams slipping away like a snake. Her mind was creeping into a nightmare, a terrifying prophecy. All was silent in her sleeping quarters, except for the sound of her tossing bedsheets. Zelda had been a bit distracted lately for Link's absence. She did not know him too well, she only knew he was a hero, that only tales of this hero existed, that no one else saw who the Hero of Time was. She could not remember much, though she often had images flash past her eyes. Herself as an adult, a massive evil combating Link, three jewels, six medallions, and much more. Though Zelda did not know Link so much, she felt like she's known him forever. She had been worried, because the young warrior had disappeared for months now. Her mind climbed forth more, probing around the prophecy, leading her through a twisted scene.

She was running, but didn't know why. All she knew was that she wanted to keep running. The flames of the torches clinging to the bloody walls fluttered as she raced past breathlessly, throwing orange lights upon the stained wall, the red ceiling, the soaked floor. She could barely see the stone wall, for it was covered in blood. Zelda continued her pace, and two doors came up on her sides; she automatically swerved around to the left, bursting through it, twisting the doorknob and wrenching the door open. A horrifying image filled her eyes. Two long chains suspended a figure in midair, and it was impossible to see who the image was, for the whole room was ruined with massive blotches of blood. She stood there, paralyzed, sickened by the chamber. Two torches on both sides of the room did not help her at all, for it simply illuminated the figure in red. She stared in fright as the victim raised its head as her, with empty, black eyes. The left arm weakly struggled against its chain, and blood suddenly spurted forth from below the chest, ripping through the cloth and spilling messily onto the floor.

Zelda's eyes snapped open, wide with fear. Her heart beat against her lungs wildly, her breathing panicked. She blinked several times at the ceiling, trying to drive the image away, but she couldn't. Her throat wanted to scream, but it was restrained, pinioned to the bed as if some invisible force had chained her there. Zelda tried to sort out the nightmare, biting her lower lip and still staring at the ceiling. Her body was stiff, her head throbbing in slight pain. The footsteps of an approaching guard flew down the hallway, taking her by surprise. The clanking of steel armor echoed against the walls as she heard one rush along, stopping at the doorway.

"P-princess!" he gasped. "An army approa--approaches! The king wants you--wants you--wants you on the field in case of negotiation! Come, the Hyrulean army gathers to meet the other!" He raced off, panting more desperately.  
Zelda laid there in bed, eyes locked onto the ceiling. But at last, her arm gripped the side of her bed, and she creakily sat up. Her golden blonde hair was a bit tangled up, but still fine. She sat there in bed, squinting at the floor, worrying over the blood-filled prophecy. Finally, she slipped out the bed, striding out the room in a clumsy manner.  
Out on the fields, the army filled with Hylian warriors, aided by a number of Gorons, some Zoras thrown in, marched forth to face a more massive, superior army of Skulltulas, Stalfos, ReDeads, and more horrifying monsters. It was dusk, and the field was thrown in faint black with outlines of red. The opposing army was silhouetted against the light of the sky, looking even more menacing than ever. Zelda, on her own horse, rode to the front of the Hyrulean army with her Shiekah guard, Impa, following the stallion of her father, the King of Hyrule. Her smooth, blue eyes traveled across the hill, which was covered in the figures of thousands of monsters. The army flowed down the hill to halfway at the bottom, easily outnumbering the inferior Hyrulean army. Zelda's eyes caught the sight of a green figure in front of the army, however...  
"Link!" she cried out happily, joyful he was unharmed. The commanders of Hyrule's army glanced at each other, knowing to respect anyone Zelda knew. However, a large, bulky man strayed from the crowd, up to the young Hylian daringly. He wanted to know why a child was out on a dangerous location that was liable to become a battlefield for the two armies. His black horse carried him from his fellows to Link, and the horse slowed to a stop.  
"Hey, kid!" he said in a strong voice. "What are you doing out here? Pretty dangerous for a forest boy. Let me take you back, eh?" He was about to outstretch his arm to let the boy up onto the black horse, when he hesitated upon studying him. The commander was suddenly confused. Link stared at him directly for a moment, and he lowered his eyelids, his lips curving into the sinister, insane smile of a killer. His left arm craned around his neck, felt the handle of the Gilded Sword on his back, and gripped it. He lashed out the blade in an arc, and a shower of blood rained upon him as he beheaded the man! The Hyrulean army stared in disbelief, but Zelda was truly frightened now. She watched as the warrior passed his stained blade through his lips in tasting the blood, raised the Gilded Sword in the red light, and lowered it in pointing it at Hyrule's army. Slowly, a great cry rose from the monstrous army he led...


	2. Recovery

_The Last of Promised Light_

Chapter II - Recovery

_Why?_  
The question was all that remained in Zelda's mind as horses fled from the carnage, slain men sliding off their saddles and landing on the ground with sickening thuds. The white mare she and Impa rode upon reared with a frightened whicker, and swung in the opposite direction, with a desire to be as far away from absolute chaos as possible. As the young horse turned, Zelda turned her head back at the army of monsters. The creatures had rolled down the hill, bizarre callings erupting from each one, be it howl, scream, or a roar like the wind. The one she had believed to be a hero had disappeared in the mass of bloodbathing monsters, albeit she didn't know who he was anymore. It couldn't be him. The one she met was the Hero of Time, who warded off a great evil, who had great kindness in his eyes, who had an aura brimming with nobleness. He, who left Hyrule in search of a friend, who left for that purpose alone. This couldn't be him; he wouldn't turn on them all of a sudden in a matter of months.  
_How?_  
That question was even more difficult. Red swam before Zelda's eyes, the hollers and panicked pleas of dying Hylians, Zoras, Gorons punishing her enhanced hearing. Zelda bit her lip; she didn't know where this all went wrong, didn't know how it started, didn't know when...where...she felt her body give a lurch, and Zelda was on the ground. Upon impact, a great burst of air escaped her throat in a scared gasp. Zelda's eyes were closed in pain and shock, but she pulled them open when she felt cold steel against her neck. She became bloodless, pale, when she realized the golden but stained blade was at her throat. Standing above her, Link, with that sneering smirk, was already set to kill her. She couldn't think anymore, all she did was let out a frenzied scream, knowing she was going to die.  
In a flash, one of the commanders rode up on a white horse with brown blotches, and he pulled back, his stallion rearing with him. It kicked powerfully at Link, landing a blow on his shield, and forcing him back on his feet. The young Hylian immediately turned and fled into his army once more, disappearing among the many monsters swarming the fields. Zelda looked up at the commander, and heaved a great, relieved sigh. "T-thank you," she started, but the athletic man in his bronze armor simply shook his head, and raised his hand. He was a well-known man, who did good deeds for a living, though he often strayed from the castle. His motto was, of course, that he require no reward, that he require experience. The man extended his raised arm, and Zelda took it, allowing her delicate body to be lifted onto the horse behind the commander. The stallion threw his head, throwing his black mane in several directions, and curved to the right, racing through the crowds of both armies towards Hyrule Town, flying through the falling sun.

"Did it have to happen?" Zelda asked the man, in the safety of her own castle. Her heart sank so low, it hurt terribly.  
"Did what?" replied the commander in a soft, fatherly voice. His back was turned to the princess, but he turned around to face her, lifting the visor of his helmet and fixing her in his brown eyes, his shining, brown but reckless bangs falling in front of his eyes. Yet, Zelda did not have to say anything; he already knew what troubled her. "It's him, isn't it?" he questioned with the same soft tone. The princess responded with nothing, but a drop of her eyes to the floor. "It's that boy...you knew him. I don't know anything you know about him, but it seems to have a powerful impact on you. Don't worry," he added, trying to cheer up the young girl. "Eventually, we'll find a way to get him back. The gods above will help us through, and the three goddesses will lend us what they have given."  
Zelda gave a slow, silent nod. Sir Copper, as many referred to him, was a kind man who understood much, but he wouldn't know how depressed she was. Copper knew he didn't understand, so he turned and left the room to allow the princess a quiet moment of thinking. Zelda sat there on the bed, one arm supporting her head as she set her cheek on it, legs overhanging the side of the cotton bed, sheets of white silk. Her blue eyes traced the engraved patterns on the floor, the tiles of grey marble, every tenth one with the Hylian symbol in the center. Se raised her head from her supporting arm to see the stone figure of the Triforce above the doorway, between the wings of the Hylian eagle, rays of the sun shining forth from the symbol. This was only stone though; it had to symbolize something, yet Zelda couldn't see what just now. Her sight fell to her right hand, and she stared at the gloved palm, before gingerly turning it over to gaze at the back of her hand, as if expecting to see something reveal itself through the white glove. Still silent, she turned her head, and her face fell into her hands with a strained, confused sob.

Awakening to the sound of determined cheers, Zelda's eyes snapped open. Her body was not stiff, though a bit weak. She creakily turned her head, to realize her body was sprawled across the bed in the wrong direction. She supposed she had fallen asleep while crying quietly to the silence, trying to sort out why and how everything turned out to be. Her head hung over the bed a bit, her legs on the opposite edge. Zelda twisted her body around onto her stomach, and pushed herself onto her knees, lifting herself against the edge of the bed with her weak arms. Her hair was untidy again, and her dress was in an awkward condition. She slid backwards onto her feet, and slapped at her dress a little to return it to its normal position, as it had tied itself around her legs a bit. She raised her head in a rigid motion, her eyes staring out the window at the weak morning light. Voices were trailing across the sky, snaking through the alleyways, past her window to her ears. It sounded like a gathering of the commoners, and she thought it was a simple auction when the word 'army' came to her ears.  
Fully attentive, she raced over to the window, some air forced out as her stomach flattened against the wall, her upper body nearly toppling over from the window. Her excitement made her reckless, and she coughed, trying to recover from the shock. Zelda stared down at the ground far below her, and raised her head. Hyrule Town Market was in the distance, but the voices were loud, and she could hear them perfectly. Even the guards lost their attention to the gathering, angry hollers rising from the source at the topic. Zelda continued to listen, biting her tongue to keep herself from sprinting out of the room, downstairs, and bolting outside. Her ears perked at every loud statement or word that arose from the conference out in town.  
"Gather...build...save...rid...unpure..." were the words Zelda managed to snatch as she leaned out the window, trying to hear the whole conversation that commenced. More continued to flow forth from the commoners, including what was recommended to prepare for war, who exactly was their foe, and comments from the audience. Did they lose their heads? The situation was very dangerous, but no one except for her knew that. Would anyone take the word of a young princess who had a terrifying nightmare that may have foresaw this? Many doubted a child, even a prophecy-reciever, at times of massive crisis such as this. Who should she turn to now? Her father wouldn't help, even though he was the king. Her father, in fact, was preparing what was left of his army, for the most violent war that was at hand. The question came up once more; who was she to turn to? Zelda whirled around, her dress gracefully following the spin, and skipped off across the chamber, through the doorway and quickly curving to the right, taking the stairs descending to the second floor, raced along sun-lit corridors, nearly toppling over a female walking along, and halting in her sprint to regain wasted breath. Drops of sweat quickly formed at her forehead, her lungs pained. Never did she attempt to run so fast, and if she had done so in the past, then she couldn't remember. Leaning against the wall for support, she hoped for herself to quickly recover her breath before continuing.  
"**_Move_**!" hollered a demanding male voice as a steel-armored figure raced past her, spear in hand. He didn't take a second glance over his shoulder, and thus, did not realize he nearly collided with the princess. Zelda pushed herself away from the wall, brushed at her dusted dress, and glared in the man's direction before managing to take a brisk walk down more stairs, which were hidden under a fine red carpet outlined in gold. As she continued down the long flight, she cast her gaze to the base of the stairs from past her shoulder, and viewed the golden Hylian symbol there with the Triforce held between its wings. She kicked off the third last step, landing roughly onto the symbol, and continued her pace along the carpet strewn along the floor. It winded around the corner, joined another red carpet, trailed from the intersecting point to the great hall. The princess sprinted past the great hall as well, racing past chairs and rushing through yet another door now. Her body ached again, and Zelda swayed, keeping her balance against the stone wall. This time, she took about four minutes to gather up more energy for another distance of flying past hallways. Once the required was finally summoned, Zelda, her rib cage pained, desperately flung herself into running once more, her legs carrying her along the floor, and out the bridge. The guards of the drawbridge noticed her, and turned around.  
"M'lady," the first one began, "must you be outside at this hour?"  
"Yes, I muh--must. It is--urgent," she gasped. "W-where's Impa?"  
"Lady Impa is retrieving a horse from the stables."  
"Just what I needed!" Zelda exclaimed, taking the guard by surprise, and the young girl bounded away to locate Impa. She needed not to search long, for the Shiekah was already there with the white mare. "Impa!"  
"I know, Princess Zelda," the woman answered. "You are in search of consolation. Come onto the horse, and we will head for Death Mountain."  
"Death Mountain? For Darunia?" Zelda responded in surprise.  
"Yes, and if he is unable to help, we will head for Zora's Domain next."  
"Oh, alright..." Zelda managed to lift herself onto the mare's back with Impa's help, and the Shiekah seated herself behind the princess. Lightly taking the reins into her hands, Impa pulled them, making the horse rear wildly, legs kicking at the air, and off they went. Images blurred past as the wind whipped at them, the white horse pounding her hooves against the ground as she darted along, bolting past the gathering, out of town. Impa gripped the reins harder, and pulled them towards the right, directing their horse to the left towards the bridge of Kakariko. It was not a long distance away, but they had to make haste, for this was becoming a shadowed age indeed. Impa, being Zelda's caretaker, knew what she was thinking at most given moments, knew what she wanted, knew her emotions. The only thing Impa knew, however, was that Zelda wanted to partake in a dangerous journey to gather information vital to them in releasing Hyrule from the quickly growing evil. As the horse rode up to the stairs of the small village of Kakariko, the sun's light breaking the horizon...

"Oh, lady Impa," said the voice of a guard standing next to Kakariko's gate as the Shiekah strode up to it with Zelda following closely. "What brings you here? Often you don't visit little Kakariko. On business, I presume?"  
"Indeed," Impa answered impatiently. "We head for Death Mountain."  
"With the princess in hand!" the guard responded in surprise, his eyes falling upon the young girl trying to hide behind Impa.

"Yes. It is required she come."  
"Oh, alright. But I don't know about this," the guard told her concernedly. "Are you sure it's a good idea?"  
"Perfectly. We will head up now; we'll be back, and I won't let any harm befall the princess."  
Impa swooped past him through the gate, flattening small blades of grass as she briskly walked along. They passed by the tree, where a teenage male sat against it, and quickly strode up the pair of stairs to the higher level of land of the village. A Cucco brushed past them, clucking in oblivious cheerfulness. Zelda struggled to keep the same pace with Impa, looking like a helpless child despite her royal appearance, her pink dress sweeping the grass, her blonde hair bouncing against her shoulders, blue eyes scanning the peaceful area of Kakariko. Impa rushed past the guard of the Death Mountain gate, still dragging the young girl along with her...

The arachnid-like creature burst into green flame, quickly dissolving into dark violet smoke as it disappeared within itself. The Red Tektite met its fate by Impa's own dagger as it had leapt at her, only to be caught with death. Zelda ducked to the left as another flung itself at her small body, only to slam into the wall and be slain by Impa's jagged dagger as well. The line abruptly bent in a zigzag style, making it seem like a bizarre weapon to wield. Tugging Zelda's arm a bit, she raced up the path, the dagger still in her tight fist as she bounded off, the princess still trying to follow desperately. Eventually, however, the Shiekah slowed her pace, and they came to a stop for a bit of rest, especially for Zelda, who was out of breath, panting heavily. "My apologies, Princess Zelda," Impa said as she seated herself on a low ledge, legs crossed as her body leaned back onto her hands.

"No, it's alright..." Zelda murmured in forgiveness, plopping down next to Impa. "I know we had to rush...how far are we from Goron City?"  
"Not very far."  
"Okay..." Zelda laid her head in her lap, exhausted to her full extent, lungs paining harder than ever before from the constant racing. Impa kept her silence, watching Zelda closely as she rested. Knowing full well she was thinking about Link again, Impa made an attempt to draw her attention away from the topic as to keep her from losing more courage and determination. Impa patted her softly on the shoulder, and Zelda raised her head, before turning her eyes up at Impa's face. "Look at the sky," she muttered quietly, gesturing to the clouds above. Zelda did so, and easily lost herself in the sea of blue and white. "It's a lovely day." Then turning her head towards the city, she kept her own steely eyes locked onto that direction, as if expecting one of the Gorons to roll past them and ram into the wall of the trail.  
"Let's go."  
Impa glanced up in surprise. "But you've only rested a few minutes."  
"That's all I need, Impa!" Zelda answered in a surprisingly strong, yet somewhat higher voice. "Let's get to Goron City, quick!"  
Zelda poked her head through the entrance first, panting heavily. She didn't fully recover during their rest, but she was still determined. Taking a step forward, Zelda glanced back and forth at the stone walls, and her eyes stared down the floors below them, a platform hanging in the center held by ropes. But no Gorons were here, none at all. Impa followed after her, also seeing none of the city's inhabitants. Turning her head, Impa quickly moved towards a flight of stairs leading to the bottommost floor, and Zelda huffily followed, tossing her head to shake her hair out of her eyes. 

Upon setting foot upon the stony floor of the last level, a voice floated out of a rock door to their ears. "It's Princess Zelda, and the Shiekah called Impa," reported a shaken, low voice.  
"Let them in," replied a gruff, tougher one to the other. The door slid up to allow the two entrance into the chamber. Zelda hesitated, blinking at what just took place, but Impa dragged her in without so much as a thought. The door slid shut behind them, and they both threw a glance at it before turning back to what was around them. A small room full of several Gorons, a more buff and taller one standing within the crowd. The Goron pushed his way to confront Impa, with Zelda still hidden behind her. Daruna stood over them both, his chest puffed out proudly, though one could easily sense the fear residing in him.  
"So, two of the royal Castle have been sent to us?" he asked, keeping his tone harsh.  
"We came on our own choice. We wanted to gather any information that can help us in this dark age," Impa quickly snapped back in answer. Daruna, caught off guard, blinked at her and quickly regained himself.  
"Hruff!" he grumbled. "Huh! I suppose we could help. Only recently, a small group of travelers wandered into our city. They looked like those merrymaking folk we don't see often, with an old hag, several young adults, and a silent but odd boy amongst the group. Now, as they were staying here for the day, one of the Gorons came upon the boy, who wore black, and was staring at his black cap that he didn't wear that day. When that Goron--" Darunia then sent a look into the crowd, "--set foot into the tent, the boy made a weird statement. No one else was in the tent but him since the others were either exploring the city or were outside. Uh, how'd it go again?"  
"Uh..." A Goron in the back of the crowd began to speak. "I remember it like this: _Therein blackness, no light shineth._ Yeah, that's how it went."  
"Right. They left not too long ago, but I have no clue where they'll be wandering next," added Darunia. "I hear one of the Zoras know their route though. You should go find him, he might tell you how to find the group. I think the boy can help you, though he's really suspicious..."  
"Thank you, Darunia. We will do such," Impa responded gratefully, and with a bow, swept out of the chamber.


	3. Therein Blackness

**Shadow Medli**

Ah, yes. Hello there, I am Shadow Medli, author of this rather bizarre fanfiction that I think needs a better title. I couldn't think up anything better for it, though, so now you're stuck with The Last of Promised Light. Anyway, you might have questions that I might be expecting from a critic. Now, I'm not very old in age, but don't judge me in that fashion. I'll throttle you if you do! I mean...I prefer not to be looked upon as the average youth.  
Why did I convert Link to the malignant side? In my view, when it comes to a twisted background, there is always a condition with the hero. Are they conflicted, imprisoned, near death, corrupted? My more favorite option of harming the spirit of a hero is corrupting them. To turn against the ones they once protected is an unexpected, terrifying...crime, shall I put it. From benign to unholy, that outs a rather troubling aura about the story. Especially if there is a force that may be controlling the hero -- this makes the innocent think, now that a being bearing more power than their saviour had arisen, that the end could be anytime soon.  
Is there something I'm trying to tell you? Well, recall any past shows and movies you've watched, any comics or books you've read, anything that gives you a story. I'm not talking about any humorous types, I'm speaking about the life-threatening area. Every time a terrible event has befallen, a loophole is somehow found, and all eventually breaks away from the darkness back into peace. I will not give you any examples, but there's plenty of them out there. This fanfiction will tell you that there is far more to such experiences than finding a way for everything to become normal once more. The end of a movie, the hero risks dying, but always finds a way to come back. Someone dies, but is brought back. A villian returns mulitple times, but is always put down. I wonder if you realize the thousands of sacrifices that must actually be made in such dire situations. This is what I'm aiming for; a storyline based on so much fantasy, yet so much real limitation.

_The Last of Promised Light_  
Chapter III - Therein Blackness...

As Impa and Zelda trudged along, having taken the shortcut from Goron City that led to the Lost Woods, Impa noticed how dreadfully quiet Zelda had been. She bowed her head a bit, examining the princess who was so obviously tormented within, her hope collapsed. Impa held back a pained sigh, and set her attention back to the path they were taking. "Princess...don't put too much thought into it. I am assured that there is another force behind this unforgivable scheme. There will come a time salvation will be upon us." She paused, waiting for the young girl to answer, but she gave no response. Impa sighed, sensing the hollow emotion within her. Hopelessness. Impa did not know what she could say to lighten the Princess's feelings, however. In dire times like this, she did not know what to do, except follow the path that is opened before them; and the parth they had to follow now was the one to Zora's Domain.  
Zelda stared at what lay before them. Her heart was heavy, and her hope did indeed vanish. It was swept away with the dying wind, and the light that led them through the darkness was as dim as the night. The trees towered above them, barricading the glow of the stars and the half moon that hung above them in the black air. The rustle of leaves could be heard as they quietly progressed through the Woods, and they were quick to find the shortcut that would take them to Zora's Domain. Impa raised her right hand, threw it down, and a blinding flash suddenly snapped. As it subsided, the two disappeared, leaving behind very little trace of their presence.

It was indeed nighttime, when the stars should be out to cast strange patterns across the dark sky. Over Lake Hylia, feather-like clouds stretched past the vast black heavens, the moon glowing strongly past them. Sitting quietly on the shores of the lake was a figure, in a fetal position, his blue eyes staring past his blode hair into his reflection. He stared at his own eyes, full of fear and confusion, a malice dormant beneath. _Why me?_ he thought in agony to himself, falling on his back, arms and legs outstretched. _I'm still just a child, even if I'm the hero of two lands...wait...I'm a child...I guess that just makes me more vulnerable to something like this. Someone's using me, but for what? And where did Dark Link come from? I thought I got rid of him. But Ganondorf can't be back, not so soon..._Link continued to struggle, his mind unable to answer his questions. He laid there, staring up at the moon, lost in its glow. "How can I control myself at this time of day?" he muttered to himself, even more flustered about the essences of light and unholiness. "I don't understand anything!" he called out at the sky, not expecting an answer from anyone. Link sighed, and looked down at the waters of Lake Hylia, staring at his reflection. Has fate turned against him? This was far more complex than when Ganondorf endangered Hyrule...or when Majora nearly destroyed Termina with the moon. Link fell over on his back, arms and legs outstretched, staring up at the enormous moon hanging above. He gazed at the stars in the great black sky, recalling what his friend Saria had once taught him.

_"The Great Deku Tree once told me, Link, that if you look closely up in the sky, and follow the stars with your eyes, you can see the eagle of the people outside of the forest."_  
>_"Really?"_  
_"Yep. But I've never found the eagle. Look up...aren't the stars beautiful?"_

Link had found the eagle among the stars earlier, however, sometime when he was in Termina. He saw that great bird in the sky right now, and closed his eyes, recalling Saria. "Yes...they are beautiful," he muttered to himself. "It hurts...to know..." He did not finish his sentence, for he fell into a peaceful slumber, having lost himself in blissful memories. The eagle of the Hylians watched over him like a protective god, as though it had forgiven him, even though he was corrupted now. It's wings spread, it's talons sharp enough to pierce any man, it stood for glory and freedom. As Link fell asleep, a small owl soared across that massive sky, following the light which it was given.  
The owl, with is small and delicate wings, rapidly beat the air as it carried itself across the sky. A small hoot escaped its little humming grey throat, as it flew about freely like that eagle among the stars. The avian fluttered high above the lake for a long time, but eventually swooped down on the child now laying dormant in the grass. It landed on Link, giving a high hoot, hopping onto his chest. The owl inclined its head this way and that, examining him, before hopping off of him, following his arm to his shoulder, flitting onto it, and rubbed its small furry head against his cheek. Although he was asleep, it was although the owl knew he was troubled, and soothed him as it gave another hoot. _Don't worry, little boy! I'll be here for you. Always!_ _No matter what!_ The owl hopped onto his chest again, and sat down, its legs hidden beneath it's small body of white, black and grey feathers. Who was this strange little creature, only one knows.  
Watching this from the tree that stood high on the small island in the center of the lake, a massive silhouette gazed upon Link and the owl with piercing eyes. _Stay with him, and never leave his side._ Kaepora Gaebora spread his massive wings, shielding the two from the moonlight momentarily, and he launched his massive body into the air, soaring out of the area like a fleeting shadow. "Whomever has unleased this curse will pay with his life...I am sure of it."

"A suspicious group?" repeated the seventh Zora who Impa and Zelda had spoken to. "A caravan, you must mean! Yeah, I know where they are. They came by not too long ago, and I overheard one saying they should head to the Desert as their route takes them."  
"Splendid," Zelda sighed in relief, glad they finally had some information.  
"Do they move about quickly?" Impa asked the Zora, still requiring a little more information.  
"No, they go pretty slow. Hey, I need to go now, I'm pretty hungry."  
Impa nodded to the Zora, and he gratefully slid back into the water with a neat and graceful backwards flip. The Shiekah then looked down at Zelda, who looked anxious to leave immediately. Her blue eyes were full of worry, as though she knew something Impa didn't, and she struggled not to hop up and down in her stress. Impa was unsure whether to ask or not, for curiousity could sometimes lead to a wrong turn. However, she felt that dire need to simply ask.  
"Princess, does something trouble you?"  
"Over there...over there, I thought I saw something..." Zelda replied, raising a gloved hand towards the bushes on the other side of the river. "It was a shadow, but I felt a sinister presence."  
Impa kept her eyes on her for a moment, yet slowly turned her gaze towards the bushes. It seemed that the figure was gone for now. However, once she narrowed her eyes to try and spot something among them, she did indeed see a faint glow of red within the shadows. She leered into it for a moment, when it darted away, a black blur sprinting from her eyes down the river. It moved too quickly for either of them to attempt to race after it, to her disappointement.  
"We must worry about that later...for now, we should seek out this caravan."  
Impa stood there, waiting for Zelda to regain herself, but it didn't seem the princess would make a move. Not wishing to wait, Impa turned, steering her away sternly, her hand on Zelda's shoulder. As they walked away, Zelda looked up at Impa with a concerned frown.  
"Impa...how come I didn't see this?" she asked quietly, and Impa glanced down at her. The princess didn't see this coming. Neither of them had considered that for quite a time. Zelda had asked the very question that couldn't be answered. Impa kept silent, staring at the paths laid before them, unable to respond. "Impa..."  
What should Impa say? She didn't know a thing? She had no idea? Deciding it was best to keep silent, she continued guiding Zelda with her hand on her shoulder. The cool air, the stars glittering above, the river streaming by them, the darkness settled all around, and the silence...the atmosphere was mysterious, not to mention highly suspicious. The Cucco that was always found near Zora's River was asleep, sitting in that ring of rocks with its wings by its sides, legs hidden beneath its feathers. Its eyes were closed, and it was breathing heavily, as though no horrible fate would befall it. Zelda watched it as they passed by, wishing she could be in such bliss like that. As she turned her head away, the shadow from before darted from the darkness, sprinted by the Cucco, and disappeared once more. As it did, the bird gave a squawk of fright, but was abruptly silenced as it was stolen from its slumber.

Heading to the Gerudo Desert was indeed a caravan, which two wagons, six horses and plenty of people. One wagon was dragged along by white horses, and the one behind by black horses. Several Hylians chattered among themselves, a deku in their midst, but the second wagon was particularly lonely. Loaded on the first was food, treasures, custom objects and plenty more they could sell. They always went about Hyrule, collecting whatever was in their path to make a living. The wagon pulled by the black horses had more strange novelties on board, however, and it was no wonder why the others kept their distance from it. Inside, all was gloomy, for there were sinister items and dangerously dark artifacts, some believed to be bound to malicious magic. Roaming among these, however, was the blackest of the caravan, the most serious and cold. He was only 11 years old, awkwardly enough, but he garbed a black tunic with a red belt, a steel collar about his neck, spiked bracelets on his wrists, chains over his back and chest holding a halberd, and his dark blonde shoulder-length bangs hid brown eyes that reflected only death. He strolled among these objects, hands locked together behind his back as he stared at the wooden floor. The others trusted him to be there, to make sure nothing got out of hand with the second wagon, since he was the only one who would dare uphold the task. His eyes slid towards a black stone item that took the form of a horse's head, a moderate size, and looked very heavy. It had ruby red eyes, and he reached out to touch it. As he did, the horse's head glowed red, and it suddenly threw its head back with a haunting whicker. He simply gripped the horse around the neck, and it tossed its stony head, ears flicking. He released the object, and it suddenly froze in its original position. He simply stared, face showing not a trace of an expression, and continued to walk on. He came to the entrance of the wagon and stared out at that moon, longing to be free again. If he wasn't stuck with this cursed caravan, if he had any other choice, he would be happier. Much happier. He then suddenly remembered why he was bound to this caravan. No...it was for his own good, that he be with them. As he gazed up at the moon, he noticed clouds above, and kept that impassive face. However, the calmness did not last very long, for there was an abrupt bang as the wagon suddenly stopped in its tracks, and as he peered outside, he saw the black horses neighing and kicking at the air wildly, tossing their heads about and flicking their tails. A wall of fire was barricading their path, and those ahead of them had turned around to gaze at this unexpected phenomenon.  
The boy wasn't the least bit startled, but he slipped out of the wagon anyway and walked past the settling horses to approach the flames. There was chatter among the folks behind the fire, and as he reached out to touch the flames, several stared while others protested. His arm slid through the embers without harm, and as it returned to him, he examined his arm, flipping it over several times. Frowning in disapproval, he knew this fire had to be fake. However, it didn't seem someone wanted them to proceed any further. Glancing around, he searched the area for signs of a stranger. Yet it seemed that no one was there the more he scanned their surroundings. The crowd was even more concerned, having apparently realized that the barrier of flames was not real, and the boy looked back towards the wagon of cursed and dark artifacts. Climbing back into it, he ignored the calls of confusion and anger form the others when he turned his back on them, and felt around a small black dragon with blood red eyes. He lifted it from the crate it was sitting upon, and brought it outside, still glancing around for the intruder. As he began stroking his finger along the back of the plated dragon's neck, it came to life and let out an unearthly screech, stretching its wings and crying out at those behind the flames. A few backed away as its red eyes gleamed and glowed, climbing up the boy's arm with lethal talons, though he flinched not even once as it perched on his shoulder. Silence failed to settle among them as the crowd continued to chatter excitedly, the flames dying away, leaving no trace of its presence. The horses pawed the ground and shifted their feet nervously, the small cursed dragon figure perking its head and flicking its wings, its four claws clinging to its position as though it were a miniature gargoyle.  
A shadow watching this from the tree nigh smiled to itself in amusement, emerald eyes observing the panicked nomads and the composed youth standing before them. "Hehehe...I do spy an interesting one here after all..." it snickered sinisterly to itself, slithering to the grass with a black serpentine body, pikes jutting out from the sides. By then, the group had returned to their wagon, thinking it was no more than a meaningless event. However, the guardian of the black wagon was overlooking the area, his small companion doing the same suspiciously. As he turned around to retreat into the covered carrier, he felt an unknown coil of coldness wrap around his leg. Glancing down, he stumbled back into the wagon, and twisted around onto his rump to see a long snake leering at him with eyes full of malicious intent. "So...tell me your name," it started quietly, flicking a forked tongue at him. The dragon hissed, and it smirked again in amusement. The boy looked up to see the others starting off without him, not noticing the spooked horses who were not daring to move.  
"And you are?" he answered in response, not so willing to release his name.  
"Oh, a smart one, are you?"

Link stirred, oblivious to his surroundings at first, only to realize it was still nighttime. He groaned, sitting up and massaging behind his shoulders. His joints were stiff, and his mind bleak. Blinking through a soft and rather harmonious rain, he removed his cap and stratched his head, then replaced it behind his bangs. Looking down, he noticed a diminutive and brown figure sleeping in his lap now. "Wha?" Staring blankly for a moment, he decided to reach out and prod it lightly. immediately, it jerked to life and raised its head, eyelids heavy with sleep. Link was astonished, and he drew his hand back as he noticed how rapidly the little creature was beating. "Hey...who are you?"  
The owl looked up at him drowsily for a moment, not understanding him for a few seconds. The question finally registered, however, and it blinked hard as it clacked its beak and shoved itself onto his talons. "Hello! My name's Micut. Kaepora Gaebora sent me to help you get through the curse." He tilted his head in the same way the great owl did, bobbing it left and right. Link sent his gaze to the sky, scanning it for a sign of the massive figure above, but saw nothing like that. "So, tell me what happened?"

"Uh, what?"  
"Tell me what happened!"  
He blinked in surprise at the nerve of this little owl, and smiled. Micut's curiousity did verily remind him of himself. "Okay..." 


	4. No Light Shineth

_The Last of Promised Light_  
Chapter IV - ...No Light Shineth

The horses were not moving, for they were frozen with anxiety, pawing the ground as their hooves clopped against the thick dirt. The boy was staring coldly down at the serpent contricting his leg with a tight grip. He could feel the blood in his veins beginning to slow, and he glanced up once more, the white wagon moving ever so farther away from him, the faint chattering dying away. Without endless voices filling the air now, deathly silence choked the sky and earth, with the horses simply rippling the quiet with their spluttering and snorting. Still sitting upright with his leg out in front of him, he decided this would proceed no further unless he answered. Hesitant, he was reluctant to speak, yet did so nonetheless. "Drellmire..." he said quietly, and the dragon on his shoulder flicked its wings open before they snapped shut by its sides. "Bond Drellmire."  
"Oh, pleased to meet your acquaintance," the snake answered in a mockingly polite voice. "Well, you want to know how I am?" The boy named Bond granted him a rather suspicious and dark look, but nodded nonetheless. "I'm not telling, kwaha!"  
"Very pleasant," Bond responded with a sneering gleam in his dead eyes, face devoid of emotion. The dragon snapped its stony jaws at their visitor, and as they looked up once more, the caravan was now just a small vague figure disappearing into the distance, where a thick fog was beginning to settle. Reaching out, the boy attempted to grasp the serpent around the neck, but a cobra hood flared and it leered with ruby red eyes.  
"Not so fast, Drellmire...what power do you doubt of me?"  
"None." There was a moment of hesitation, during which the cobra awaited another reply. "I know your strengths."  
"Oh, you do?" it answered in amusement. "Very good, yes...then you must be wise enough to meet my demands." It flicked a tongue at Bond, who paused for a few moments. The twilight outside was dim, the clouds spreading across the vast blackness, the moon nearly hidden away. A wind was blowing, a sinister one, against the side of the dark wagon, and the horses continued their unease. Soundlessly did they toss their heads, acting as though trying to paw the ground with their hooves raised, though they didn't. Their tails whipped at the air with agitated motions, and the black saddles on them, encrusted with rubies on the sides, were losing their once malignant lust. "So, does your dragon have a name?"  
Bond's tan hand arose to stroke his little pet along the back gently. "Raizken..."  
"Ah, Hylian for 'wicked', is it not?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, Bond and...Raizken...will you two rise to meet my demands?"  
Bond shifted his gaze to the snake, who seemed to be smirking at this point. "And what shall you do in return?"  
The serpent seemed to search his mind for a moment, swaying back and forth thoughtfully, its grasp released from Bond's leg. Its body curled up with its head above the coil, eyes wandering the floor lazily. "What other than blood or flesh?" it answered finally, drawling as though feeling a bit triumphant. The answer affected Bond immediately, for an appalled look crossed his face, and he blinked hard. He seemed unwilling to believe at first, but the shadow of his soul said otherwise.  
"Are you really being true to your word?" he inquired softly, shifting his position so that he was on his hands and knees, Raizken perching on his shoulder precariously. "You are not really going to promise me flesh to feast on?"  
"Yes."  
"Blood to drink?"  
"Yes."  
His expression lightened with glee, a manic look in his now hungry eyes. "What do you wish?"  
Raizken gave a gurgling chirp of confusion and blinked at Bond.

"Wow!" Micut chirped, flapping his little wings enthusiastically. "That's really weird! Of course, mister Kaepora Gaebora told me all about your shadow and Ganondorf..."  
"Huh?" Link replied, blinking cluelessly. "Kaepora told you this?"  
"Yes! He's the one who sent me!"  
"Oh, um...okay."  
"What else do you know about it?"  
"I don't really know...I'm not sure, I just know I tried to kill Zelda and..." Link frowned, not wishing to proceed. "Well..."  
"I understand." Micut flapped his wings even more furiously, as though trying to take off into the air. Link watched, amused at first, when he realized something was amiss. The little owl should've been airborne by now.  
"Hey...can't you fly?"  
"Uh...no..."  
"Then how did you get here?"  
"Kaepora brought me here!"  
"Oh..." Link sat there in dismay. Well, now he knew Micut couldn't send messages without the great owl to aid him. He watched as the little bird leap into the air, only to land on his rump upon Link's stomach. "Then, how can you help me?"  
"I can guide you," was the answer with a blink. Link felt shame come upon him at the mention of the word 'guide'. Navi...he never found Navi. Shifting his position uneasily, his blue eyes wandered off to gaze upon the moonlit grass around him. It was still nighttime, but the black sky had become a dark blue. There was a scar of red where the sun was about to rise. He stared out at it, first admiring the streak of red across the lifting night, recalling the first time he had seen it. Back in the forest, the tall trees would hide the horizon, and he would never actually see the red clouds. But when he left and came out into Hyrule Fields, he first saw the horizon, and was rather curious upon seeing it. As he continued to gaze out, leaving a confused little Micut sitting on his leg, he felt a smile stretch across his lips.  
"What? What's so funny?"  
"Oh...nothing...I'm just remembering something."  
At the last word, dread crept into him. Link's smile faded as he noticed the rising sunlight, though he was unsure as to why. Arching his neck back, he saw the ascending moon, and blinked in a baffled manner. The breeze about him softened, dying away quietly with a peaceful whisper as the grass ceased to dance and rustle in it. Tilting his head in confusion, Micut blinked up at the frozen boy, as if trying to ask a question in silence.  
"Micut..." Link started quietly, and the owl blinked again. "Where's the nearest place where no sun can reach it?" The little bird gave him a strange look, one big eye squinting in suspicion. Micut clicked his beak and shifted his talons a bit to the left.  
"Why?"  
"I think...that if the sun rises...I-I just have a very bad feeling. I need to go somewhere dark."  
The owl stared in wonder and astonishment. "Are you sure this isn't just an after-effect of the curse on you? The one from that d--"  
"I AM NOT PLAYING AROUND!" Link suddenly bellowed at his small companion, eyes blazing with fury and hate. He threw himself forth, and Micut tumbled backwards, frightened and startled at this abrupt outburst of anger. "Do you think I, hero of two realms, would _dare_ to joke about at this time! _Idiot!_" Link spat and hissed, driving the owl even farther back. Link pushed himself onto his feet and turned, striding off with a more sinister wind coming to life as he walked away. Micut trembled, supporting himself onto his talons while his small head spun around to look at the horizon behind them. His great golden eyes gazed at the rising sun for a moment, pupils shrinking from the light that was beginning to spill onto the lake. While glitters of light began to unfurl across the waters, Micut suddenly realized something.  
_What if..._  
"Liiiiinnnk!" The owl sprinted after him with a sudden agility, bare legs digging at the ground and kicking him across the grass.

Laying on the cold ground in the streets of Hyrule, an older girl struggled to free herself from the restraint that was wrapped around her wrists, ankles, mouth and eyes. She had been thrown aside into an alleyway, where it was dark and no one could see her. On the ground just a few feet away from her was a white quiver with wooden arrows spilling out, and a white bow near the stone wall even farther away. The bandages weren't coming loose at all! _How did it come to this?_ she thought to herself miserably. _I never thought a boy, a little dragon, and a snake would beat me! I'm an experienced archer, for Nayru's sake! They were all in black, too...what's up with that?_ She thrashed even more furiously, but to her dismay, not one bandage worked free. The girl moaned at her failure, wondering what she could do now. Fall asleep? That seemed to be her only alternative. But she was so hungry...where was food when she needed it? Laying her head down on the ground, she sighed through her nose and closed her eyes. _I must be reeeaaal unprepared..._  
"A-April?" whispered a quiet, though shocked voice into the gloom. "Are you alright?" Hearing the familiar tone seep into existance, April shrieked through her bandages and started to flail about even more. "Wait...wait, stop, I need you to be still if I want to untie you..." The girl then stopped herself, allowing a figure in dark green kneel by her side. She felt his hands slip past her head and chest to the bandages around her wrists, feeling the warm against her hands as he lifted them to undo the tyings. Her eyes darted about at the nighttime shroud that was veiling them, feeling much fearful in the gloom of the darkness. The bandages came loose, and so did the one that covered her mouth. Gasping for air, which wasn't entirely necessary, April snapped her eyes to the person sitting by her side.  
"Thanks," she panted worriedly, "Mythryl. Do you have any food?" she added, inclining her head. Mythryl, the boy, sighed and scratched the back of his neck.  
"Well, yeah...at home of course, but..."  
There was a pause as Mythryl continued to untie the bandages around the girl's ankles. His blonde bangs fell forward as he leaned over her, still working at the knots, his forest green tunic dark in the dullness of the darkness. The buckle on his red belt showed no gleam as it often did, his brown boots dirty at the soles, his blue eyes yielding no light in the night. There was no sound to break the silence, only the breath of the sinister breeze and the faint rubbing of cloth. There were clouds hanging above, obscuring the pearl of the dark sky that was the moon, drifting past though showing no signs of clearing soon. At last, the restraints floated to the ground helplessly, and Mythryl pushed himself up rather roughly with a single hand, which sunk a bit into the rocky texture of the stony ground. April quickly flung her arms onto his back so that he also lifted her up without intending to completely.  
"Sorry," she muttered in apology. April averted her gaze. "I can barely stand."  
The boy nodded unsmilingly, his expression not unpleasant but nor cheery, and especially not any more merry with the eerie shadows upon his face from the shroud. April shrank back a bit, aware that something was amiss. Normally, she was not very bright and did not understand what was to possibly pass, but this time, there was something in her friend's eyes that foreshadowed something. She just wasn't sure exactly what. "So, uh..."  
Mythryl nodded at her, not requiring for his companion to speak any further. "Come on...mum was just starting to roast the Cucco..."  
"I like Cucco!"  
"I know. Me too." Mythryl briefly smiled at her, but it quickly vanished and he looked away. "...yes..." He blinked mildly, not noticing that April was staring at him. Mythryl gazed quietly at the ground, but he would just as well be staring at his ripped short sleeve that was torn for a reason April was oblivious to.

"Link...?" Micut hopped up to the boy, who was curled into a fetal position. "Link...? I know I'm tired too, but..." Link didn't answer. He kept his face hidden, back against the wall of the dark cavern, arms around his legs as he rested, breathing at an unusually normal pace. Micut allowed a small sigh to escape his beak, then carefully climbed up the boy's tunic with his strong, small, and piercing talons, digging into the cloth and onto Link's shoulder. The miniature owl sat there, trying to see through the blonde bangs that concealed Link's blue, worried eyes. The two were abnormally silent, no wind reaching into the depths of the cavern, no sunlight managing to claw into the darkness. "Kaepora..." Micut started quietly, trying to stir his partner into talking. "...told me that...when your returned from a foreign realm...you were completely different and your aura, not to be rude, reeked of chaotic lust...Moblins and a lot of other monsters had started to follow you...when you came to Hyrule Field, you besieged it and left no survivor alive...but now here you are, completely quiet and scared...why?"  
There was still no response, to Micut's disappointment. However, just as the owl turned his golden gaze away, Link raised his head, his own eyes completely dull as they stared at the stone wall opposite of them, the gleam on his hair faded, his face paler than before. No tears, no sorrow, no anger. Just a lifeless expression.

"I don't know," he answered shakily in a low tone, voice hoarse as though his throat were dry. "But I think if I stay away from the sun, it won't happen again."  
"But..." The small bird turned his head towards Link now. "No light? That's not good for one's soul, you know...without light, a spirit becomes nothing more than a dead mist. No, it can't be that. Are you sure--"  
"I'm perfectly sure," Link answered in the same feeble voice. He continued to hold his gaze to the wall, strangely quiet, oddly impassive. Micut sat on his shoulder, observing the boy as he spoke and looked blandly at the wall. There truly was something awry, something cruel. Micut knew what happened in this realm of Hyrule. No light meant the soul would lose emotion and personality, leaving behind just instinct of self-survival. But if Link were to step into the sun's, he'd be taken over by that demonic part that somehow stirred within him. This thusly created a terrible dilemma where there were only dark choices meant to weaken Hyrule by weakening someone capable of defending it against the most malicious forces. Clacking his beak, Micut's gaze fell to the floor quietly, trying to find some sort of answer. No hope shone for his mind, for Link, however.  
"Um..." he started quietly, still staring down. "I'll go get some food...okay?" After knowing Link wouldn't respond, Micut raised his small wings and beat them rapidly, flitting out of the cavern. Daylight spilled onto him quickly as he disappeared into the distance like a tiny fly, the wild smacking of his wings against the air fading quickly. As the owl departed, Link secretly allowed his eyes to follow, watching the shadow of the bird reach out for a moment before tailing after Micut.  
_Shadows..._ he thought to himself bleakly. Link stared at the sunlit floor just several feet away from him, still hiding within the darkness of the deeper cavern. _Are they coming after me...?_ The boy looked around at his surroundings silently, and a rather relieved smile passed his expression. _No. They're protecting me. I don't see why._  
"But I don't care."

Raizken, the small gargoyle-like dragon, was chirping rather loudly in Bond's ear that folded at a horizontal angle, unlike the rest of the Hylians. Raizken was concerned, though it was basically a dark spirit bound to a small stone wyvern. The dragon still had its own independent thoughts, and Raizken thought something unnatural was taking place. As it let its gaze pass over the hacked corpses of poisoned guards, it knew this was not something that Bond would do. Chirping again, Raizken prodded him hard in the cheek with its claw-like wing.  
"What?" Bond answered dismissively, following the snake along the path to Hyrule Castle. "I'm busy. Leave me be or I'll chop your wings off." Raizken heard the unnatural wrath and evil in the boy's tone. Startled at the response, the dragon remained quiet, but contemplated on how to return Bond to his proper self. A gurgling squawk practically died in the dragon's throat, the sun rising upon the horizon. Before either of them knew it, the snake was slithering away in the complete opposite direction. Bond halted, staring down at the creature with a confounded gaze. "Where are you going?"  
"Away from the sun," was the simple answer. No emotion passed Bond's face, though it was evident he found this rather disappointing. True, Bond was not fond of the sun either, but he didn't flee to the darkness every time it rose. He watched the snake disappear into the shadows, considering to follow it into the trees, but Raizken tightened its razor talons on the boy's shoulder. Bond looked over at the dragon, staring into its ruby red eyes. He stood there, frozen, just gazing at them quietly. He didn't hear the snake call out to him. He didn't notice the rising sounds of birds chirping and the breeze brushing against the grass. All he knew that he was a fool.  
_One night of fake fire and already am I weakened_, he thought to himself dully. _That creature...just by simply promising flesh and blood, it took me into its service. How did it know?_  
_However it knew, I want some_ now!  
_No. I can't let my own beast take over my ways._Damn it, now!  
_If only I knew...if only..._  
He looked up, now noticing the hisses of the snake. The serpent was calling for him to join its side in the darkness. Immediately, knowing that no good would come of this so-called partnership, Bond quickly turned and began to walk off.  
"Where are you going!"  
"Away from you."  
"Get back here! You--you do remember our bargain, don't you!"  
"I am not to be manipulated, for I am a rogue." Bond threw a casual wave to the snake. "Goodbye."  
"Return at once!" The snake glowered angrily as it watched its temporary servant walk off. "Sssso...he has resistance after all...I doubted him." _I thought he had no power over his shadow._  
While he walked away, Bond looked to Raizken with a frown of concern upon his tan face, his brown eyes still narrowed in the shadows of his blonde bangs. "For a moment," he murmured rather innocently, "I thought that thing got ahold of me...but, it was just me, was it not?" Raizken bobbed his head in honesty. "Yes, well. We should be heading back to our wagon..." Raizken nodded even more excitedly, wishing only for the presence of the darkness. Bond chuckled unsmilingly, closing his eyes in exhaustion as he continued along the path. "Yes...I miss it as well..." The breeze softened to him now, clouds drifting across the dawn sky. No one was awake. The corpses of guards lay upon the path, each one bloody and stained in crimson, their once shining armors of steel tainted by red. Bond looked around at them with no alarm, but shame crossed his mind. He actually killed them...there wasn't even purpose in his slaughtering. He remembered everything that happened. He had snuck up to a guard from behind and strangled him, though the abrupt cry before the choking caught the attention of the others. He didn't get to strangle to man, but he had taken a cursed dagger from the wagon and slit their throats, stabbed them in the back, cut their shoulders, while the snake had slithered out of the shadows and sunk its fangs into them, poisoning their bodies, killing them within seconds. "Destruction..." he sighed to himself exasperately. "It is...returning..." The wind continued to whisper peacefully, and it sounded like a quiet lullaby to him. He walked past the carcasses, staring up at the sky solemnly. The clouds drifted by, untainted and white, but for how long?  
Raizken crooned softly, emitting a soft melody from his black throat, singing a smooth song that was very unnatural for such a dark dragon. The notes of calm trickled through the cracks in silence like pure water. Bond managed to relax as the blood smears left the path. The scent still lingered -- it was overpowering...but he kept his head high. Bond wished only to return to the cursed caravan, the thing to which he was bound through duty. Wanting to dismiss the thought of carnage from his mind, he hummed along with Raizken's song with an unshaken voice. More guards would surely come...but would they know who brought massacre to the trail that led to Hyrule Castle?Impa and Zelda rode up to the caravan as they saw the white wagon ahead of them. The horse galloped harder than ever while Impa sharply kicked its side with her heel, pushing it on to reach those travelling in the white wagon. Zelda clung to the horse's neck, sitting in front of Impa -- though still nervous amidst the confusing chaos that was her whirlwind of blurred thoughts. She could hear the horse panting hard as it raced in the wind, trying to catch up with the other two white horses that pulled the wagon. The mane was flapping wildly in the air and in her face. She shook her head, her eyes rising to meet the ascending sun. Zelda hadn't realized just how tired she truly was in her lack of sleep...how long, exactly, had she been awake this whole time? It was a wonder she still had energy to sit upright.  
"You there!" Impa bellowed as she saw the man sitting on the wagon's front, the reins of the horses in his hands. The man was short, wearing a brown shirt and pants, looking rather formal as he led the horses. He looked down at Impa, the brown of his eyes undistinguishable as shadow fell across his face. "Slow down, we wish to ask you something!" The man's nose pressed itself against his pale face, as though he had become indignant.  
"I wish to answer to no stranger!" he roared back over the furious wind. The man raised his arms, flicked them down, and snapped the reins. The two horses took off at an impressive gallop now, quicker than the one that Impa and Zelda rode. Impa, offended by the man's manner, kicked their steed's side and pressed it onwards to try and match the wagon's pace now.  
"Stop!" Impa yelled at him angrily. "Halt! It concerns a boy in black! I want to speak with only him!"  
Immediately, the man leaned back, pulling the two horses to a stop. They whickered and slid to a halt, nearly slipping on the dew-covered grass. Impa's horse trotted up, looking exhausted as it breathed heavily. The man twisted around in his seat, bewilderment in his eyes now. The sudden change in attitude startled Zelda, who clung closer to the horse's neck.  
"The boy?" he breathed. His face was now full of apology. "The boy was the one who looked after the black wagon that had to follow the one I lead. He disappeared some time ago, after one of our men finally noticed his absence. That black wagon was full of cursed, dark and evil objects. We are not sure where he went, but that boy was mysterious. He matched well with his task." The man could hear protests from within his own wagon, rising questions demanding for the answer to the halt. He ignored the irritable voices. "For what business do you have with him?"  
Impa paused, glancing around for an unknown purpose. "Is he known to speak strangely, to speak of strange things? To act strangely?"  
He chuckled with amusement. "Well, of course! Haven't you just heard me, woman? He's a mysterious boy." His gaze became serious once more. "He's always speaking of things we do not understand...always stares at the horizon..." The man nodded o Impa, the breeze brushing his dark brown hair. Zelda noticed everything about him was brown. He must've had a liking to that color. "What business, again, do you have with him?"  
"Back in Goron City," Impa immediately responded, "did he say something that interested us. I wanted to dicuss it with him. Where we you when he disappeared?"  
"Well..." He hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words. The man's reply then came a bit more slowly, as he was trying to sound honest by using the right words. "We...we don't...well, I'm not sure when he disappeared. I do know last night something strange happened. Fire had erupted from the ground out of nowehere, and we were all quite startled, you see. But nothing out of the ordinary happened. That wasn't too far from Hyrule Castle..."  
Impa glanced down at Zelda, who arched her neck back to look up at Impa. The Shiekah then pulled the horse's reins to the left, turning it away to the opposite direction.  
"You aren't going to Hyrule Town, are you?" the man asked.  
Impa did not answer him. Instead, they merely galloped away, leaving that confused man. The light of the sunrise cast shadow and amber light upon the ground, stirring the Cuccos from sleep and entrancing the Wolfos into slumber.

Bond glanced up towards the gate as he heard faint clopping of hooves in the distance, his nose sniffing out a horse and two unfamiliar figures. At first, they were merely a group of shadows far away, and he thought them to be one at first. He was sitting on the edge of Hyrule Market's fountain, stroking Raizken's back as the dragon squealed in delight. Bond looked down at his recent companion as its movements stiffened, tail locking into a graceful curve, head raised, talons apart, wings folded, back into black stone, the red eyes ruby once more. Bond knew Raizken now had a mind of its own since it belonged to him now. Raizken would only be alive if it were near him, commanded by him, cared by him, or anything concerning him. Raizken was a stone dragon -- an enchanted work of rock with a soul bound to it, which chooses its owners and friends, and is completely unbreakable unless thrown into a volcano. Bond clutched the now motionless and solid figure to him as the figures in the distance became more clear. At first, he thought they were merely riding in. But he soon realized the horse was galloping towards him.  
The horse slid to a halt, releasing dust into the air as it breathed heavily in trying to regain its breath, head hanging to the ground. Impa had pushed the mare very far. Zelda slipped off the white horse as she noticed the wagon beside the fountain, where two bulky black horses rested, laying on the ground lazily. She glanced over towards Bond, her lips making motions as though she were struggling for words to speak. Impa also dismounted the mare.  
"A-are you..." Zelda started quietly, focusing her eyes on the unfamiliar black dragon in the stranger's arms. "The boy from the caravan...the boy who watches over the black wagon?" She turned her head towards the black stallions. She didn't notice that he had then frowned at her question. Zelda glanced back, locking her blue eyes on his dead, brown eyes, and stared at them deeply. She shuddered silently at them, thinking she was looking into lifeless voids of no light. When he didn't answer, she pressed on, unaware of the fact that Impa was watching the two quietly. "Therein blackness, no light shineth..." To her mild surprise, the look in his eyes hardened. "What--what does that mean?"  
"The golden light of white cannot shine forth in the chaotic darkness that is coming," he explained in a low voice, so that not even the Shiekah could hear him. Only Zelda. "No matter how valiant you are, you cannot strike down these forces. Something is behind the curse."  
"Curse? What cur..." Zelda's voice trailed off as she remembered the insane look in Link's eyes during that ill-fated battle.  
"There is something that leads both destruction and light," the boy answered quietly, brushing his hand against the back of the dragon's neck. "Find it and you can prevail...but it cannot be ordinary. It must be warm yet bitter, real but unnatural, symbolizing the calm that is order, and the entrancing light that is chaos." He clutched Raizken close to him. "My name is Bond Drellmire, and I cannot tell you the answer to the riddle. For the winds say that if you knew too early, all would be lost."  
"No light shineth..." Zelda echoed quietly, still gazing back at him.  
"But the carrier of dark and light shall triumph," Bond finished, narrowing his eyes at her.


End file.
